Boat propelling and steering device.



T. L. DENNIS.

BOAT PROPELLING AND STEERING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED M1121, 1914.

1,1 30,153. Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

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THE NoRR/s PETERS CO., PHDTO'LITHO., WASHING rON, D c.

Tetonas L. pnmvrsgor learner;` BAY, New YORK.

Speccatonof Letters Patent.

BOAT PROPELLING AND STEERING DEVICE.

Patented Mar. 2, 19.15.`

Application led April 2l, 1914. Serial No. 833,364.

ToaZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, THOMAS L. DENNIS, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Prince Bay, Richmond county, and State of'New York, have invented certain new and useful mprovements in Boat Propelling and Steering Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof. l

My invention relates to improvements in boat propelling and steering devices, and vits object is to provide a simple and eflicient apparatus which may be used as an oscillating sculling device for propelling a. boat, or as a rudder for steering the boat to which it isy applied. These and other advantages of my invention will be set forth in the following specification in which the invention will be described and the novel features thereof will be set forth in appended claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a 'device which embodies my invention, shown applied to the stern of a boat, a portion of which is shown in this gure in section. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same parts, the section being taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus with the lock in use illustrating the use of the device as a rudder. Fig. 4 is a plan View of a modified detail of construction.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

10 designates a portion of a boat to the stern of which my device is attached.

11 is a bracket which is adixed to the boat in some suitable manner as, for example, by bolts 12. The casing forms a sleeve bearing 13 for an actuating rock shaft 14;, to the forward end of which is affixed a hand lever 15. The parts may be so disposed in relation tothe boat that the shaft 14 is parallel with its keel and under the thwarts or seats. The lever 15 may be just forward of a midship thwart so as to be within easy reach of an operator seated upon such thwart and facing forward.

Forward of the sleeve 13 is a collar 16 on shaft 11 and back of the sleeve is an angular member 17 in one arm of which is a hole into which shaft 14 projects and a set screw 18 afliXes the member 17 to the shaft. Through the other arm of the angular member is bored a hole at right angles to shaft 14, which forms a bearing for a swinging shaft 20`. r

The swinging shaft 20, is shown in its vertical position in Figs. 1 and 2. Near its lower end it is slitted to straddle a fiat blade 21 whichl is vpivoted to it at 22. A vertically slidable collar 23 is mounted upon the shaft 20 andmay be affixed thereto in suitable position by a thumb-screw 24. Between it and the blade 21 is a connecting rod 25 by means'of which the blade may beheld relatively to shaft'20 in the position in which it is shown in full lines in Fig. 1, or may be swung about its pivot to the position in which it is indicated in dotted lines in the same ligure at 21A. j

Affixed to the shaft immediately above the member 17 is a collar 30 which limits the downward position of the shaft. This collar is constructed with tivo prongs 31 which are situated at opposite sides of a pin 19 which projects upwardly from the member 17. These prongs limit the amount of rota- Y tion which the shaft 20 may have in the angular member 17. prefer to provide also a spring 32. the ends of which are situated at opposite sides of the pin 19 but nearer to it than are the prongs 31, which spring passes around the collar 30 and is affixed to a flattened portion thereof at the after-side by a clip and bolt 33.

Before specifically describing the other y parts of the device which are illustrated in the drawings. l will point out the manner in which the parts which already have been described. operate as a propeller to scull the boat. Let us assume that the operator first pulls up on that end of lever 15 which in Fig. 2 is designated by the letter B. This will swing the lower end of shaft 2O to the right. 'The blade 21 will not follow this movement readily but will lag behind causing a partial rotation of shaft 2O in the member 17 in the direction indicated by the arrow. This rotation will be arrested by the spring 32 and limited by one of the prongs 31 when the blade has reached the desired angle relative to the keel of the boat. Further rotation of shaft 14: by the operator will cause the action of the blade 21 on the water to propel the boat forward. Now the operator pulls up on the end C of the lever 15. The first effect of this will be to swing the blade to the other side of shaft 2O and then to produce a forward propelling thrust upon the boat. By repeating this operation the boat may be sculled readily with the operator in an easy bow-facing position, andl to a certain extent the boat may be guided by lpulling harder on one side of lever 15 than on the other, because for every forwardV thrust of the Vblade there is a component side thrust whichV the operator may make stronger on one side than on the other. The 'spring may of course be omitted if desired, butait cushions the strokes and prevents any slamming and jarring of the parts. It is also possible to omit the prongs 31 Vand to depend lupon the spring alone'to limit the rotation of the shaft 20. When it is desired to reverse the boat andy propel it backward', the collar 23 is loosened and moved to its lower position in which'it is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 when the blade 21 will lie forward of the shaft 20. Now the oscillation of shaft 14 will cause the partial rotation of shaft 20 as before but in opposite directions and the propelling thrust then generated will4 be astern. I

If instead of the pivoted blade shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a more simple arrangement for reversing is desired. the blade such as 34 in Fig. 4, may be rigidly aixedto shaft 2O Y and a double-pronged collar'35 used instead of collar 30.'` The prongs 36 performV the same function as do thel prongs 31 inthe otherv structure, but when itis desired to A scull backward, the shaftl 20 is lifted until the 'prongs clear the pin 19. and is then turnedY around180 degrees, blade and all, and let down again with prongs 37 lying at opposite sides of the-pin. `The positionof the pin relative to the collar 35 in this new position is indicated in dotted linesl at 195 in Fig. 4. The upper partvof bracket 11 is constructed to form a support for a sliding bolt Y or latch 40, the outer end of which is forked as at V41. Aiiixed to shaft 2O opposite bolt40 is a collar 42 which has aforwardly projecting arm 43. l/Vhen; thisl device is to be used .as a rudder, the bolt is slidV back until its forked end.41 embraces the end of arm 43. Under these conditions, rocking shaft 14 in vone direction or the other will cause the blade 21 to be swung positively a desired amount, to one side or the other of shaft 20.

vTo describe the operationr more specically, attention is called to Fig. 3. When shaft 14 isrotated by an upward pull on end VB of lever 15, the upper end of shaft 20 is moved to the left, as shown at D. But the forward end of arm 43 cannot now make'a'correspond'- ing movement and consequently the shaft 20 and blade 21Will be moved in ap'z'lockwisel direction, and the blade will assume the position in which it is shown at 21B. site rotation of shaft 14 will cause to' assume the at 21C. In this manner the device may be Yused as a rudder.

An oppothe blade yp'ended claims.Y

positionY inv which it is shown This apparatus may be applied to smallV boats such as are usual-ly rowed by oars or withoutv the expense and inconvenience Aof installing an auxiliary engine to meet Y"such emergency. Y j

The invention is' capable ofV many modiications of Vstructure andv I; intendY no limitations othei1 than those 'set forth in the ap- What I claim is:l i Y 1. In a propelling and steering dev iceforv boats, thecombination `offalongitudinal rock shaft, a transverse'shaft rotatively mounted at the endjthereof, means for lim- Y iting'the rotative movement of said transverse shaft, a blade onsaid shaftfprojecting fromone side thereof, and means'for Vmoving the blade to the opposite side of the'shaft relative to the boat.

2. In a propelling and steering device for boats, the vcombination of a longitudinal rock shaft, a transverse shaftl Vrotatively mounted at the end thereof, means for limiting the rotative movement of said transverse shaft, a blade pivotally supported on said shaft and/projecting to oneside thereof, and means for swinging the blade'about its pivotal support to the opposite sideof the shaft. .Y e

3. In a propelling and steering device for boats, the combination of a longitudinal l rock shaft, a transverse shaft rotatively mounted at the end thereof, means for limiting the rotative movement'of said transverse shaft, a blade pivotally supported on I :said shaft and projecting to oneside'thereof,

a vertically slidable collar on the transverse shaft. a connecting'rod between'said collar vertical position ofthe collar .to thereby and the blade. jand means for adjusting the Y swing the blade about its pivotal support to oneside or the other of the transverse shaft.Y

l4. In a propelling and steering device for boats, the combination of a longitudinal rock shaft, a transverse shaft mounted at the end thereof, means-forlimiting the rotative movement of said transverse shaft, a blade on said transverse shaft,

rotativel'V y -115 an arm projecting from the transverse shaft above the axis of the rockshaft, and means 4 for preventing transverse movementof the end of said arm to thereby cause the swinging movement of the transverse shaft to rotate said transverse shaft and its blade.

5. In a propelling and steering device for boats, theV combination of alongitudinal rock shaft, a transverse shaft vrotatively mounted at the-end thereof, means for limiting the rotative movement of said transverse shaft, a blade onv said transverse shaft, an arm projecting from theV transverse shaft above the Axis of the rock shaft, and means In witness whereof, I have hereunto set comprising a sliding latch having a bifurmy hand in the presence of tvvo subscrib- 10 cated end adapted to embrace the end of ing Witnesses, this 18 day of April, 1914.

said arm for reventinof transverse movex ment of the ellid of Sad arm to thereby rlHOMAS L DENNIS' cause the swinging movement of the trans- Witnesses:

verse shaft to rotate said transverse shaft F. GRAVES,

and its blade. ERNEST XV. MARSHALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 1f Patents, Washington, D. C." 

